Upper Green River Basin
April 1997

Snow
Snow water equivalent (SWE) in the basin, as of April 1, is 141
percent of average. SWE for the Green River above Warren
Bridge is 150 percent of average and 17 percent more than last
year. SWE on the west side of the Upper Green River basin is
about 39 percent more than normal, 10 percent more than last
year. SWE in the New Fork drainage is 38 percent more than
normal, which is about 22 percent more than last year. The Big
Sandy and Eden Valley portion of the river basin is about 45
percent above normal and 34 percent more than last year. For
more information see the Basin Summary of Snow Courses at
the beginning of this report.

Precipitation
The 13 reporting precipitation sites in the basin averaged near
normal (102 percent of average) for March; precipitation was 10
percent less than March of last year. March precipitation varied
from 85 percent below normal (Farson) to 65 percent above
normal (Gros Ventre Summit). Water year-to-date precipitation,
is 21 percent above normal (12 percent more than last year).

Reservoir
Big Sandy Reservoir is storing 26,700 acre feet (34 percent
above normal) and Eden is storing 6,100 acre feet (30 percent
above average). Fontenelle Reservoir is about 23 percent below
average (120,800 acre feet). Flaming Gorge Reservoir has about
3,184,900 acre feet stored ( no average available). Detailed
reservoir data is shown on the following page and on the
reservoir storage summary at the beginning of this report.

Streamflow
The fifty percent chance April through July runoff, in the basin,
is forecast above average to much above average. Green River
at Warren Bridge is expected to yield about 340,000 acre feet
(28 percent more than normal). Pine Creek above Fremont Lake
is expected to yield 130,000 acre feet ( 25 percent more than
normal). New Fork River near Big Piney is expected to yield
about 550,000 acre feet or 43 percent more than normal. The 50
percent chance inflow to Fontenelle Reservoir is about 1,250,000
acre feet, which is about 47 percent more than normal. Big
Sandy near Farson is expected to be about 80,000 acre feet (40
percent more than normal).